Ash tray and extinguisher for cigarettes and the like



1941! RA. RUTHERFORD 2,228,847

ASH TRAY AND EXTINGUISHER FOR GIGARETTES AND THE LIKE Filed March 29, 1940 Roberta/q. Rutluazzo' I'd,

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Patented Jan. 14, 1941 PATENT ()FFICE ASH TRAY AND EXTINGUISHER FOR CIG- ARETTES AND THE LIKE Robert A. Rutherford, Jersey City, N. J. Application March 29, 1940, Serial No. 326,742

3 Claims.

The improved ash tray and extinguisher comprising the present invention is primarily designed for use in extinguishing or snufiing lighted cigarettes and for receiving the ashes and dis- 5 carded ends or butts thereof. The invention, however, is capable of other uses and, if desired, the same may by slight modification be employed in extinguishing and receiving the discarded ends of cigars or other rolled or wrapped forms of smoking material.

Fire insurance companies have estimated that the invariable custom of the average smoker to carelessly place the burning stubs or butts of cigarettes within a receptacle such as an ash tray or the like has annually incurred damage running into the millions of dollars, thus materially raising the fire insurance rates in practically all localities. Much of this damage is the result of the smoker placing his cigarette in such a position that the unlighted end thereof overlies the edge of the receptacle. The average cigarette when once lighted will continue to burn until it extinguishes itself and thus, after a cigarette so placed in an overlying position is consumed to a certain degree, the unconsumed end thereof overbalances the ashes of the consumed end and the cigarette loses its stable equilibrium on the supporting surface and topples to the table or other supporting surface, or to the floor where it continues to burn as before.

In this manner fires are frequently started in table cloths, scarfs and the like, or in rugs and other floor coverings and the total damage, petty and serious, presents a staggering figure in fire insurance statistics.

Furthermore, even when the cigarette is properly placed well within the confines of the ash receptacle, if not properly extinguished it will continue to burn to completion, giving off objectionable fumes and odors and making it very disagreeable for persons in the room. Where an attempt is made to smother the glowing embers of the burning end of the cigarette by tamping it upon the bottom of the receptacle, if not successful the cigarette will break apart and the tobacco will spill in the form of a pile, which subsequently becomes a glowing mass, pouring forth great quantities of smoke. Sometimes the 50 smoldering pile will set fire to adjacent previously deposited discarded cigarette tobacco and the entire mass will continue to smoulder until spontaneous combustion takes place and then the danger of a general conflagratlon is great.

65 Fire hazard of this character is by no means confined to the home. Public buildings, particularly theatres, and industrial plants suffer greatly from this form of carelessness on the part of the average individual.

The present invention is designed to overcome the above-noted limitations that are attendant upon the use of the average cigarette receptacle or ash trays by providing a combined ash receiver and extinguisher which will reduce the number and extent of such fire casualties to a minimum.

Toward this end, the invention contemplates the provision of an ash tray having associated therewith one or more extinguishing devices for temporarily receiving the burning ends of discarded cigarettes or other tubular smoking cylinders and where, due to lack of oxygen, they will be effectively extinguished whereby all offensive and repugnant odors generally given 01? by burning matter are eliminated.

This being the principal object of the invention, it is another object thereof to provide an extinguishing device for cigarettes and the like wherein the ashes and extinguished cigarette stubs are positively held therein against dislodgment, even though the device be tilted or inverted, until such time as they are entirely extinguished and positively forced from the extinguishing device.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an extinguishing device of this character which may be so positioned that it is conveniently accessible to more than one user, even though the users be situated at opposite sides of a table upon which the extinguisher is placed.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a combined receptacle and extinguishing device wherein the latter is in the form .of a magazine in which several extinguished cigarettes may be concealed temporarily until such time as the capacity of the magazine has been reached, at which time insertion of another stub in the same will cause deposition of a formerly extinguished stub into the receptacle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a receptacle and extinguishing device in which the magazine is of a multiple type and will enclose and conceal a large number of the cigarette stubs prior to depositing them in the 50 receptacle, thus permitting the receptacle to be maintained substantially free of discarded material and in a clean condition.

The provision of a combined ash tray and extinguisher which is highly ornamental; one which 55 is comprised of no moving parts; one which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which, if made in more than one part, may conveniently be assembled; one which is rugged and durable and which is therefore not easily damaged; and one which otherwise is well adapted to perform the services required of it, are further desirable features that have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention.

Another object of the invention, in a modified form thereof, is to provide an ash tray and extinguisher possessing all of the above-mentioned features which additionally may be disassembled for the purpose of facilitating cleaning thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will become more readily apparent as the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing ensues.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form of a combined cigarette ashtray and extinguisher manufactured in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof, partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of an extinguisher designed for use independently of an ash tray or for cooperation with one or more independent ashtrays, and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a modified form of combined extinguisher and ashtray capable of being disassembled.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing one of the parts of the combined extinguisher and ash tray of Fig. 4, and a thumb screw for holding the parts together.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, the device involves in its general organization a central body portion H! which, in the form of the invention shown, may be substantially in the form of a truncated pyramid. On opposite sides of the body portion is, and preferably formed integral therewith, are a pair of dished portions II and I2 which may be of identical construction and which constitute ash receptacles for cigarette stubs and other refuse.

The improved cigarette extinguisher or snuffing device is designated in its entirety at l3 and consists of a plurality of individual curved tubular members 14 which are of substantially identical construction and which are positioned substantially in parallelism in side by side relationship. The extinguishing device 13 may be integrally formed with the central body portion H) or may be attached thereto in any suitable manner, as, for example, by cementing, soldering, welding, brazing or the like. Irrespective, however, of these details in manufacture, the essential features of the invention are always preserved.

The individual members M are preferably circular in cross section and have an inside diameter substantially equal to the overall diameter of the average commercial cigarette, thus permitting reception and passage of cigarette stubs therethrough. Each of the members 14 is in the form of a ring section, i. e., it is curved and is entirely symmetrical with respect to a medial transverse plane. The ends of the members M are flared outwardly and are presented outwardly and upwardly while the medial regions of the members are supported upon the central body portion. These ends directly overlie the central regions of the respective dished portions I I and I2 or, in other words, the vertical projections of the ends fall well within the confines of the dished receptacles II and I2 in order that cigarette stubs forced completely through the members by subsequently introduced stubs will fall directly within the dished receptacles.

The radius of curvature of the members l4 may be varied within certain limits. However, it is essential to the invention that this radius be sufficiently small that the average cigarette stub passing therethrough will be distorted or compressed to prevent circulation of air therethrough. It has been found that a radius of curvature of from approximately to '7 inches will permit easy passage of the cigarettes through the tubular members, while at the same time affording sufficient compression thereof to prevent flow of air therethrough.

It is obvious that the lighted stubs may be introduced into the various tubular receivers H from either end thereof and as subsequent stubs are inserted, the previously inserted stubs will progress through the receivers in either direction and will ultimatly be ejected and will fall into one or the other of the receptacles l l or [2.

Referring now to Figure 2, it will be noted that a freshly introduced lighted stub in any one of the receivers I4 will occupy a position with its lighted end below the level of either of the tube openings. By virtue of this fact, the heated air in the Vicinity of the smoldering ashes will be rarefied and will tend to rise in the tube. Thus outside air will be prevented from entering the tube at the far end of the same while air will be incapable of entering the near end due to compression of the cigarette stub therein. Thus for lack of oxygen, the smoldering ashes will be almost immediately snuffed or extinguished.

Because of the almost instant smothering of the smoldering ashes of the cigarette stubs, less ultimate ash in the receptacles H and I2 will result with a consequently cleaner unit as a whole. Furthermore, should the user desire to temporarily smother a relatively long cigarette stub, he may, if desired, insert the lighted end thereof in one of the openings provided by the ends of the tubular receivers 14, leaving the other end projecting whereby he may subsequently retrieve the cigarette.

In Figure 3 the improved extinguishing device is shown mounted on a stand or body portion 20 independent of any ash receiver portion. The body portion 20 is of upwardly and outwardly tapering configuration and is preferably in the form of an inverted truncated pyramid, thus providing curved recessed sides 2|, the function of which is to permit the edge of an ash tray T of conventional design to be placed underneath the projecting ends of the various tubular members M in order that cigarette stubs issuing therefrom 'will be caught. However, such a device is useful in itself in that because of the multiple nature of the tubular receivers l4, a relatively large magazine capacity is established and the various receivers need not be emptied of their contents until a relatively large accumulation of stubs is on hand.

In Figures 4 and 5 a modified form of the extinguisher and ash tray is illustrated. In this form the structure is capable of being disassembled for the purpose of cleaning. In this form of the invention the assembled apparatus includes an ash receptacle or tray portion 30,-a stand or body portion 32 andan extinguisher portion 34, the latter'comprising a single curved tubular member 36 having substantially the same design and extinguishing characteristics as the various tubular members I 4. The ash tray and extinguishing device is constructed in two sections 31 and 38, each of which is a counterpart of the other and which exist in abutting relationship along a common vertical plane passing longitudinally and centrally through the tray, the stand or body portion 32 and the snufiing apparatus. The two sections 31 and 3B are maintained assembled upon each other by means of a wing or thumb screw 4!! having an annular flange 42 thereon and which passes through one of the two sections and is received in a threaded bore 44 provided in the other section. The flange 42 on the thumb screw 40 serves to clamp one section firmly against the other when the thumb screw 40 is received within the bore 44. It is obvious that by removing the thumb screw 40, the two sections may be separated and access may be had to the interior of each half of the tubular snufling member 36.

What is claimed is:

1. An extinguisher for lighted tobacco cylinders comprising a pair of complementary continuously curved impervious members which are semi-circular in cross section, said members being adapted to be juxtapositioned with their meeting edges in engagement to provide a continuously curved open-ended tubular receiver, the curvature, cross-sectional radius and length of said members being such that a lighted tobacco cylinder inserted into one end of the receiver will become bent and sufiiciently compressed to preclude ingress and egress of air through said end whereby air existing in the lower medial regions of the receiver will become heated and will expand and rise toward the other end thereof and preclude entrance of fresh outside air into the cylinder through said latter end, and means for detachably securing said members together.

2. An extinguisher for lighted tobacco cylinders comprising a support, a continuously curved impervious tubular receiver having both ends open for the reception of lighted tobacco cylinders, said receiver being mounted on the support and disposed with its curved axis in a vertical plane and with both ends thereof presented upwardly from the medial regions thereof and of such curvature and cross-sectional diameter and length that a lighted tobacco cylinder inserted thereinto through either end will become bent and the tobacco therein sufiiciently compressed to preclude ingress and egress of air through said end whereby air existing in the lower medial regions of the receiver will become heated and will expand and rise toward the other end thereof and preclude entrance of fresh outside air into the cylinder through said latter end.

3. An extinguisher for lighted tobacco cylinders comprising a support, a tubular receiver having both ends open for the reception of lighted tobacco cylinders, said receiver having end portions which are continuously curved and which are directed upwardly and outwardly from medial regions of the receiver in opposite directions and which occupy elevations wholly above the medial regions of the receiver, said receiver being of such cross-sectional diameter and the end portions thereof being of such curvature, cross-sectional diameter, and length that a tobacco cylinder inserted thereinto through either end will become bent and the tobacco therein sufficiently compressed to preclude ingress and egress of air through said end whereby air existing in the lower medial regions of the receiver will become heated and will expand and move toward the other end thereof and preclude entrance of fresh outside air into the cylinder through said latter end.

ROBERT A. RUTHERFORD. 

